Peer Counseling
Peer Counseling is an elective middle and high school class that provides a full range of services to students, the school and the zone through structured in school and outreach activities. Peer Counselors are a cross-section of students who act as helpers and active listeners for their fellow students. The course curriculum focuses on prevention. It addresses a multitude of social, individual, school and family concerns and has a focus on violence and substance abuse prevention issues. In addition to helping their peers with individual concerns, the peer counselors provide a variety of other services. They act as conflict mediators and peer tutors, provide classroom presentations on teen issues, welcome new students and promote violence prevention, which includes anti-bullying programs.
Purpose Of The Program
The purpose of the peer counseling program is to promote the health, well-being and safety of young people through peer education and referral. This program trains a select cross-section of students to act as helpers and active listeners for their fellow students.
The core of the peer counseling program is a strong academic middle and high school curriculum which addresses skill building in communication, problem solving and decision making. It also addresses a multitude of social, individual, school and family concerns. Through careful selection and training, peer counselors increase the likelihood that appropriate help can be received by requesting persons. The focus of the curriculum is preventative. A variety of intervention strategies are employed, however, to educate and motivate students or to involve trained professionals, when needed. The results can be a more positive and safer school climate, healthier students and staff with lower stress levels, and a better utilization of school and community resources.
Peer Counseling Program Operation
Through classroom instruction, role-playing and skill building activities, peer counselors are trained to help their fellow students. Requests for program services from administrators, teachers, students, school resource officers, counselors, parents and others are made to the program coordinator who assigns skilled and knowledgeable peer counselors to offer their assistance. In addition to working with students individually and in groups, the peer counselors provide a variety of other services. They act as conflict mediators and peer tutors, assist special groups or classes within the school and the zone, provide classroom presentations, welcome new students and promote special projects.
Program Design
The peer counseling curriculum is designed as a two semester middle school and six semester high school course with prerequisite screening and testing required at every level. This course is an elective class that provides a full range of services to students, the school and the zone through structured in-school and outreach activities. A peer counseling program is in every middle and high school in the Broward County Public Schools.
Elementary School
The Elementary Peer Helper Program equips young students with skills and information necessary to help themselves and others. This program is designed in a manner which enables the elementary guidance counselor to adapt it to his/her own program.
Office of Prevention Peer Counseling Contact: Stephani Weaver